THE MENTAL-RETARDATION LABEL - MUSIC TEACHERS AND PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS EXPECTATIONS FOR CHILDRENS SOCIAL AND MUSIC BEHAVIORS

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of the labe l ''mental retardation'' on teachers' and prospective teachers' expect ations for children entering their music classrooms. Subjects (N = 336 ) were university music education majors (n = 92), elementary educatio n majors (n = 95) and public school elementary music teachers (n = 139 ). Subjects were presented a hypothetical scenario in which they, as t eachers, were permitted to admit or not admit students to their music class based on students' music and social skills. Subjects rated lists of 25 music behaviors and 25 social behaviors, indicating the degree to which they considered it important for potential new students to ha ve learned each behavior prior to being admitted to class (i.e., the e xtent to which they considered each behavior a ''prerequisite to admis sion''). Subjects gave ratings for two hypothetical third graders, one identified as ''retarded'' and the other identified as having no know n disabilities. In general, subjects expressed a greater willingness t o teach music behaviors than to teach social behaviors; that is, subje cts in all three groups rated social behaviors as more important for a new student to have learned prior to entering their classroom, irresp ective of whether the student was labeled as having retardation. There were significant multivariate differences between the labeled and non labeled student categories and among the three respondent groups. Acro ss all respondents, both music and social behaviors were considered mo re important prerequisites for the nonlabeled student than for the stu dent with retardation. Experienced teachers expressed a greater willin gness overall to teach music behaviors to a labeled or a nonlabeled st udent entering their classrooms than was expressed by either of the pr ospective teacher groups.